Daniel Gerson dead: Big Hero 6, Monsters Inc. screenwriter was 49

Daniel Gerson, one of the writers behind Baymax, Sully, and other beloved Disney-Pixar characters, has died at the age of 49, his family announced.

Gerson died Saturday following a battle with brain cancer. He co-wrote the screenplay for Pixar's Monsters, Inc., sharing credit with Pixar's Andrew Stanton on that film, and was also one of the three screenwriters who wrote that film's follow-up/prequel, Monsters University. Most recently, Gerson co-wrote the screenplay for Disney's Oscar-winning animated film Big Hero 6.

Gerson contributed some voice acting to additional, minor characters in those films as well.

Gerson got his start as a staff writer on the NBC '90s sitcom Something So Right and also wrote for shows like The New Addams Family and Big Wolf on Campus before transitioning from television to feature films.

He is survived by his wife and two children. Donations in Daniel's name may be made to Dr. Linda Liau at the Brain Tumor Program at UCLA.

Correction: This article previously incorrectly stated Gerson was set to write Cars 3.